Detroit 2050
by LadyKnightSkye
Summary: Sari Sumdac knows very well what it means to be “more than meets the eye”. Now, embroiled in a eons old war, she will find a purpose she never, ever dreamed of.
1. Prologue Worlds Without End

_**Detroit 2050**_

**Summary: **Sari Sumdac knows very well what it means to be "more than meets the eye". Now, embroiled in a eons old war, she will find a purpose she never, ever dreamed of.

**Possible Pairings: **BAxOP, SarixProwl, Starscreamxhimself

**Warnings: **Profanity, violence, major deviations from TFA canon

* * *

**Prologue: Worlds Without End**

For every decision we make, a new world is constructed.

There is a world for every outcome, for every choice we have ever, could ever, and will ever make.

We have seen a world where the decisions of the ruling gods created a dual race where in most worlds there is only one race from the planet known as Cybertron. We have seen how a specific string of actions made by the god Primus' sons have changed their world. The world you have seen is called a Mainline world because it is the world that others grow from. Know now that in the worlds that budded off there are many where Unicron triumphs over the twins. But he does triumph over the Twin Heroes as you know them, dear reader, for in every off shoot world the people are slightly different, not the same at all.

Now it is time to see another world that the Primus and Primacon we know has created, but has a much more subtle role in. Now is the time to see the world where Sari Sumdac is not the sunny, irrepressible child and priestess you know. There is a Mainline world where Sari is well aware of what she is and where she isn't that happy child. Here there is but one hero, and as it is throughout all eternity, his name is Optimus Prime.

It is also a world of Handlers and Companions.

* * *


	2. First Encounters

**Chapter 001: First Encounters**

Sari Sumdac was used to being the odd one out. At sixteen she was a pixie-ish girl with dark skin and deep auburn hair. Her coloring and stature were not the things that kept her apart, however . The public at large didn't know what made her different, but when people got near her they immediately felt that she was different. Of course, she knew why they felt that way. Her father had told her long ago.

Isaac Sumdac had taken a child that was dying and rebuilt her using his robotics knowledge. Sari was a cyborg now, over half of her body was made of bionics. But normal people could sense that she was not completely organic. He had partially hidden her from the world because he knew that the debate surrounding the assembly of hybrids such as androids and cyborgs was a touchy political and moral issue. Sari understood, but she didn't like it.

As she walked down the halls of her father's Lake Erie plant, she felt a chill of loneliness. "Come on Sparkplug." she said with false cheer. "Let's go drop in on that tour Dad's giving."

Suddenly the alarms began going off all over the building. Sari broke into a brisk jog as the mechanical canine followed at her heels. She was almost out when she was confronted with a large gelatinous-looking monster. Sari wondered if she should try out the new modifications her father had built when she felt something slimy wrap around her waist. Sari screamed as she was pulled out of the plant and then twenty feet into the air.

On the ground Isaac Sumdac was out of his mind with worry. "Sari! Sari!"

Next to him, Captain Fanzone tried not to lose the reigns of his temper. It was one thing for this to be a crisis situation, a completely different one to have the wacked out, worried, neurotic father standing next to him. "Get those trucks back! Get them back!" He grunted in annoyance.

"What are you four doing?! What part of _get back_ don't you understand?!" Fanzone was not exactly happy about the situation as it was anyway. This monster was a real danger to the city, not to mention the other nearby metropolises. "Dammit get those trucks back! Get those . . . What the -?" Sari looked down in terror as the multitude of emergency vehicles backed away from the creature who still held her in its tentacles. She was ready to let loose another scream when she noticed that four vehicles had not moved. Captain Fanzone's obnoxious yellow compact, a military personnel carrier, a fire truck, and a police motorcycle still sat right in front of the creature. Sari was unsure of what they could do. She could see the motorcycle cop pointing up at her, but then it hit her. There was no way that guy was a motorcycle cop . . .

Suddenly, the cars stopped being cars.

Sari felt her jaw drop open as she saw the vehicles transform into bipedal robots. What's more, their drivers all hopped out and managed to keep some kind of hold on their car-robots. After the robots were done transforming they stood with their driver in their hands.

Sari watched in amazement as the yellow car-robot was launched up to cut off the tentacle that held her. Sari screamed as she fell through the air, but her scream was choked off when she felt herself land with a thud on a large hand. She looked up into incredibly blue eyes. Two sets of them. Sari could feel the movement as whatever was holding her as it ducked out of the line of fire.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked.

Sari nodded. "Yeah, thanks."

"So, what's your name?" the boy asked. "Mine's Bumblebee."

It took her a moment to realize that when the boy spoke, the robot spoke too. "I'm Sari."

He laughed. She could feel the robot laughing too. "Don't be. I like my name."

She laughed too. "No, my name is Sari! You know, like the clothes women in India wear."

He cocked his head. "In-dee-ah?"

She wrinkled her nose. "You've never heard of India?"

"No, we just got here."

Sari's mouth fell open slightly. "What do you mean you just got here?!"

Before he could answer, drones flew into the parking garage they were in and began to fire on him. "Ah, ow, ow! Stop it!" he cried. "Here." he said as he set her down.

Sari stood for a moment as she watched him blast down the drones. She watched him walk out and felt fascination as she watched him agilely dodge a blow from the creature. What were they?

She watched with bated breath as the battle unfolded. The motorcycle ran at the creature, but was absorbed, driver and all. The other three regrouped and tried to help but their efforts proved futile. She saw them meeting and hatching a plan. Bumblebee looked put out, but he transformed back into his vehicle mode and rode into the parking garage. She could only gasp in horror when the other two were absorbed and then when Bumblebee launched himself off of the building at the creature.

In the end, she cheered with everyone else when the plan that these strange robot-men had concocted worked and the creature was no more. Sari darted out from the parking garage and made it over to Bumblebee just as he was transforming. She smiled at the boy in the driver's seat. "Oh my God that was so freakin' cool!" she gushed.

The boy looked wide-eyed around. "Thanks." he finally answered with a smile. His smile turned into a frown. "Look, I've got to go."

Sari reached out and grabbed his arm that was resting on his window. "Wait! You just got here!"

Bumblebee shrugged. "I know, but Prowl really needs to get medical attention."

Sari bit her lip. "Let me come with you."

His eyes widened. "I can't. Boss-bot would have my hide."

"Please Bumblebee!" Sari said, her eyes wide open and liquid. "You can trust this face can't you?"

Bumblebee knew that he was going to be in major slag for this, but he couldn't deny a pretty femme. "Alright. Hop in, but stay down! Prime is already going to flip so let's at least get you on board before he does."

Sari squealed and jumped into the back seat. She obediently laid down and got quiet. She had to work to stifle a giggle as she felt a burst of giddiness. She hadn't felt this happy in years. The car jolted a bit as it hit the water, but Sari enjoyed watching the patterns that flicked across the interior of the car enough that she didn't freak out as much as she thought she would.

Up in the front seat, Bumblebee-Companion chewed on his lower lip. Optimus was going to freak when he saw what Bumblebee had brought down, but he was curious about the pretty femme in the back seat. Where was her Handler? Did she even have one? Was it that strange four-legged one sitting on the floorboard beside her?

"Be really quiet okay? I'm going to have to sneak you into one of the holding bays until I can figure out what to tell Prime."

Sari nodded. She watched in awe as an immense door opened in the huge ship they had just approached. Bumblebee drove in and then turned off into a large room. His door opened. "Hop on out." Sari did as he asked and watched as Bumblebee drove out. She walked around the large room and explored a bit. She approached a large box sitting in the middle of the room. She felt drawn to the thing somehow. When she reached it, she stopped and studied it. The box was covered in geometric lines and dots, not unlike the wiring of a circuit board. The box itself was actually not a cube at all, but some strange three dimensional polygon that she couldn't put a name to. Around the middle there was a metal bar that had a gap over a hole in the box. The hole was glowing slightly.

Sari reached out to touch it, but suddenly it opened with a flash of light. She felt something enter her mind and then the glowing orb in the center of the box flashed several images to her. The first was of a set of faces, one robotic and the other human. The robot had a white face and turquoise eyes. His helm was deep blue with a ridge in the middle and two white antennas on the top. The man was an older one with stern features and a strong jaw.

The next was the face of one of the robots and his driver that she had seen earlier. The robot had a silver-grey face with turquoise blue eyes as well. It's helm was blue and slightly resembled a baseball cap with raised antennas on the sides. The driver had a stereotypically handsome face. His jaw was strong and square, his upper lip was a little fuller than his bottom, and his nose was straight and just the right size for his face. His eyes were the same turquoise as the robot and now that Sari really looked she saw that they both held the same kind look.

The next image was of yet another set of faces. This robot was silver and his face was constructed like that of his human counterpart. It was a strangely handsome yet cruel face and the red eyes glowed with palpable menace. The man's skin and eye color made Sari think at first that he was albino. His skin was alabaster white and his short hair was bone white. Sari felt a chill run up her spine. She could sense that he was evil to his core.

Finally, she was shown the face of another robot and man. The robot had a long black face and red, mean eyes. The helm was a darker black and looked like it had air vents on the sides. The man had a long face as well, but she couldn't deny that he was attractive. His skin was swarthy and his mean eyes were crimson. Sari instinctively knew this guy was a weasel.

Then, she felt like something was rummaging through her mind. She made a sound of protest, but before her eyes the image of a man, woman, and child flashed through the air, then a horse, dog, cat, and finally a strand of DNA. The presence in her mind did something that felt like a mental pat and then left.

Sari was left awestruck by the entire incident. "Wait . . . Did we just have a conversation?"

There was no response, but a flash of light filled the room. Sari shrieked as the light coalesced around the key she wore as a necklace. It was antique from the days when all homes were locked with metal keys. Her father had given it to her as a present long ago. The light invaded the key and it changed. Designs similar to the ones on the box covered it.

Before Sari could even begin to get a handle on what was going on, she felt someone grab her arm. "How did you get on this ship?"

She turned to see the second man and robot that the light had shown her. She added a couple more things to her original observations: he was really tall and he had a pleasant tenor voice. Bumblebee was jogging in after him. Sari realized that both the robot and Bumblebee were shorter than the other. "It followed me home. Can we keep it?"

Sari began to feel indignant. "I'm not an it, I'm a she!"

Bumblebee and his robot turned to give her a smile. Both of them. Suddenly a voice came in over the intercom. The voice was gruff. "Prime get in here!"

The tall man dropped her arm and turned to trot out of the room. Bumblebee and his robot inclined his head and Sari nodded. They turned to follow. Sari took in that the ship was spacious and uniform. After a few moments they entered another room. Sari felt a small smile come to her lips. So medical rooms looked the same everywhere.

In the center of the room was a large table. On it was the motorcycle robot and his driver. The robot's chest area was devoid of armor and the man was shirtless. When she got close she saw a large, irritated patch of skin approximately in the same area on the man as the exposed circuitry on the robot she got an niggling idea in the back of her mind.

An older man and a large, red and white patterned robot leaned over the man and machine on the table. He looked up as they entered. "Prime, he's unstable. I'm not sure that he's going to make it."

The other pair in the room, a bulky man and green robot, gasped. "There's gotta be something you can do Ratchet."

The other pair shook their heads. "There is nothing I can do."

Sari looked at the four pairs and saw the emotions playing across eight faces. Then she felt the key lift from her chest. It was glowing again and leading her toward the pair on the table. She let it lead her as the other four pairs in the room stared at her. She walked over to the table and looked back. "A little help?"

Bumblebee and his robot walked over, and the robot gently picked her up and set her on the table. She walked around the man and followed the key to the robot. She climbed up to the exposed area of his chest. There was a raised panel in the middle of his chest and before her amazed eyes, her key changed shapes. She realized that it would now fit into the slot in the platform that was in the robot's chest. She put in the key and turned it.

The key flashed and then popped out of the slot. Sari stepped back and climbed off. The armor over the chest area regrew and the quiet engine revved. She took another step back and nearly stumbled over the man who was laying behind her. Sari turned and stared as the man opened his eyes and sat up.

She blushed when she realized she was staring. He had the same turquoise eyes as the rest of them and a handsome face. He had high cheekbones and slanted, piercing eyes. His skin was swarthy and his hair was dark as well. The robot's color scheme was gold and black. It had a long face with golden horns and the body looked a lot like the uniform of the motorcycle police that roamed the area.

"That's . . . quite the cure." he murmured. The robot sat up as well and both nodded to her.

"Can all . . . 'she's do that?" the large red and blue robot and man asked.

Sari looked around. "I don't know how I did that."

The red and white pair sighed in unison. "Well, either way, thank you."

"Yes, thank you." the gold and black pair echoed.

Something clicked in Sari's mind. These men and these robots, something about them nagged her. They moved in unison and spoke in unison. The similar clothing. Each one of the men wore clothing that matched the design of their robot. "What are you?"

They all shared looks before each of them looked to the pair in red and blue. He stepped forward and extended a hand to her as the gold and black pair stood up. "We are organo-mechanical beings from the planet Cybertron. I am called Optimus Prime and I am the leader of this team."

He gestured to the bulky green pair. "This is our space-bridge expert Bulkhead."

"Hi." he said sweetly. The man was taller than Optimus Prime and had a rugged, square face. His blue eyes were not piercing like the gold and black, or calm like Optimus', but instead resembled a doe's. His hair was a dark green that bordered on brown. The robot was the military carrier and a dark green.

Optimus nodded to the red and white mech. "This is our medic Ratchet." The medic robot was taller than Bumblebee's robot and the gold and black one, and Sari could tell that it was probably some sort of ambulance. The robot was missing one of his horns, and the man had a corresponding scar over his right eye. The man looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties. His face was still handsome, but his body looked like it was in the process of going to fat. He merely grunted to her.

"This is Prowl, our navigator." This time Optimus gestured to the gold and black pair.

Prowl nodded to her formally. "Thank you again for helping me."

Sari blushed. "No problem."

Optimus the man smiled. "And I believe you've already met Bumblebee."

Sari glanced back at the man and mech. Bumblebee the man was a twenty-something looking young man with spiky, blond hair and happy eyes. He was cute with a round face and slim body. He waved at her.

Sari waved back and smiled. She then looked back to Optimus. "So, you both," she said as she pointed to the man and mech, "Are Optimus Prime?" "Yes. The organic half of our pair is called the Companion, the mech is called the Handler." Optimus explained.

Bumblebee sidled up to her. "Yeah, we're one mind spread between two bodies."

Sari nodded. "Ohhhhhh-kaaaaaaaay."

Alarms went off. "What's going on?" Bulkhead asked.

Ratchet tapped a key on the monitor. The screen lit up with the images of search and rescue bots scouring the coast around the lab. Sari cringed. "Uh-oh. I think my dad is looking for me."


	3. Warm Welcome

**Author's Notes:**

**Sinead: **Well, I would heartily suggest watching at least all of season 1 for the moment. I probably will do my usual haring off canon deal, so really I probably will only use the actual plot as a guideline for my own plotlines.

**AlphaSigma: **Thankees. I'm glad you like.

**Tristar: **You're close about the Companions. The Earthborns are actually very easily explained, but that would ruin part of the story. (wink)

**General Note: **So, this chapter left me in a bit of a conundrum. I needed names for the Starscream clones, but fortunately for me three were already named through the toyline (Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Sunstorm). This left me the female clone and the liar clone. Liar was easy since on his TransWiki page it mentioned that his coloration is not unlike G1 Ramjet. But Female left me with a problem. I thought about calling her either Dirge or Thrust to keep with the G1 Seeker theme, but neither name fit to me. Then, while going over the Seeker entry I found that in some of the Generation 2 European marking the Seekers were refered to as Skyraiders. Bingo! I liked it, so I used it. If she actually gets a name in the near future, I'll go back and change her name to the canonical one. For now, Female Starscream will be refered to as Skyraider in my fic.

* * *

**Chapter 002: Warm Welcome **

Isaac Sumdac paced around his personal laboratory like caged tiger. It had been nearly an hour since the incident at his Lake Erie plant and still no sign of Sari. Captain Fanzone had told him to head back to his headquarters not fifteen minutes after the strange robots disappeared.

"_Look Mr. Sumdac, we'll find your daughter, but we can't have you hanging around annoying us._"

Isaac snorted. Like being there would really help.

"Isaac, please, you're getting worked up for nothing. I'm sure Sari is fine."

Isaac looked up to the one being that he had called friend for the last fifty years. "I know Magnus, but I still worry."

The severed head and paralyzed man on the dais merely blinked. "She will be fine."

Isaac shook his head again and walked to the door. "I must go back. I can't stand it here!"

Megatron didn't say anything as Isaac walked out, but the moment he was alone he let loose a string of curses. "Autobots! After all these solar cycles? Impossible!"

But he'd seen the vids himself. Optimus Prime and his ragtag band of insects were still running around. And now they had his Sari. Oh, Isaac might claim her as his daughter, but she was so much more than a mere human child. Megatron scowled. He would not lose her, not after all the work he'd put into her.

He'd made sure that Isaac remembered that he had a daughter. Isaac could sit in the lab all day and forget that there was a world outside, but Megatron made sure that Isaac went in and spent time with Sari. He made sure that Sari's tutor-bot taught her absolutely everything she would need to know. He was the one who had ordered her clothes and designed every single toy that she had played with as a child.

Megatron-Companion clenched his fist.

Sari Sumdac was his, and no fragging Autobot slag-pile could have her.

* * *

Optimus-Companion was still slightly puzzled by the little femme that sat in the cab of his vehicle mode Handler. She was like one of the Minicons of legend, a pixie whose main job in life had been to confound unwary Cybertronians. She was staring out at the water with wonder.

"This must be what it's like to scuba dive." she murmured.

"You've never been?" he asked.

She looked over and smiled at him. "My dad's never taken me because he's always so busy in his lab. He doesn't want me to do things on my own because he's afraid -" she abruptly stopped.

Optimus gestured for her to continue. "Afraid of what?"

She shook her head. "I shouldn't say. I really shouldn't tell you." She sighed. "But maybe you'd be more apt to understand."

Optimus stayed silent. Sari took a deep breath and for the first time in her entire life, she admitted to another soul just what she was. "I'm a cyborg."

Optimus-Companion cocked an eyebrow. "What's wrong with that? According to that definition, I'm a cyborg."

Sari gasped. "You are?"

"Technically yes. As you must have noticed, for each of us there are two parts. As I understand it from the fifty stel-years worth of transmissions that I've been receiving via Teletran, a cyborg is part human, part machine." He gestured between himself and the wheel. "The being that is Optimus Prime is half organic, half machine. I am a cyborg in the technical sense. What you do to one of us, you do to both."

Sari was wide eyed. "I noticed, but . . ."

"But you didn't want to think about it."

"Yeah. It's just too . . . Too out there." she admitted.

Optimus-Companion smiled. "Well, if it helps, I'm having a tough time realizing that you do not in fact have two halves. The thought of containing such a forceful personality into one body staggers me."

Sari vaguely realized that he was complimenting her. "Thanks. I guess."

He looked up. The surface was close. "We're almost there."

Sari looked up too and sighed. "I hope Dad isn't losing too much hair. I can't believe I completely forgot about him."

Optimus-Companion grinned. "You were excited. I would probably have done the same."

She looked over at him. "You guys have dads?"

Optimus-Companion sighed. "Yes, we do." he said forlornly.

Sari was about to ask when they broke the surface. Instantly, light filled the cab. The people on the shore began to run around like crazy as they went up a ramp onto the dry land. Sari quickly hopped out and ran forward with her arms raised. "It's okay, it's okay! I'm fine!"

Isaac ran forward. "Sari! Sari!"

Sari hugged Isaac close but she snuck a peek behind her. The Autobots were watching her and warily studying the cops behind her. "Dad, I have some friends for you to meet." She turned back to the Autobots. "These are my new friends. Meet the Autobots."

Isaac looked at the assembled group in awe. Autobots?! Like Magnus? "Ah, I am so glad to meet you! You saved my Sari!"

The one that Isaac assumed was the leader cocked his head. "Um, no problem."

Isaac stepped back from Sari and faced the Autobots. Fanzone strode over to them and huffed. "So, who're these clowns?"

Optimus took offense to the belligerent tone of this fat Earthling. "We are Autobot Maintenance Crew number 4783."

"Maintenance Crew?" Fanzone asked. "If you're a maintenance crew I don't wanna see an actual battle squadron." he said, pointing to the mass of gelatinous goo that Sumdac's workers were still cleaning up.

Optimus-Companion blushed a little bit. Bumblebee snorted and shot exhaust. "Eh, it's only Boss-bot here who has the moves. He's Academy trained."

Sari glanced at Optimus. She guessed that this Academy was something big to them. "Hey, why don't you guys introduce yourselves to my father and Captain Fanzone?"

Optimus nodded. "I am Optimus Prime and this is my crew." he said gesturing to the robots and men behind him. "We are visitors here."

"I guessed as much." Fanzone muttered.

Isaac shot the police officer a look. "If I may, why are you here?"

"We were attacked by a group of Decepticons and crashed here. According to the records on our ship, that was over fifty of your years ago." Optimus explained.

Isaac nodded. That fit with what Magnus had told him. "Is this all of you?"

Optimus-Companion gave him a puzzled look, and Isaac glanced up at the robot to notice that like Magnus, he had amazingly expressive facial features. "Yes, this is my entire team, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Prowl."

It was Isaac's turn to be puzzled. No Magnus? "Ah, well, I welcome you belatedly to Earth. I wish to extend my hospitality especially." He held out his hand.

Hesitantly, Optimus-Companion took it. "Thank you." he murmured.

Thus, Isaac Sumdac and Captain Fanzone had their first impression of the Autobot leader. Sumdac was reminded strongly of Magnus. Both of them had the same modest manner and way of speaking. Fanzone's shrewd mind knew a rookie when he saw one. This Optimus guy was either still very new to his authority or he didn't have a clue how he should approach a situation such as this.

Sari looked from her father and Fanzone to the Autobots. She smiled. "Hey Dad, can we keep em?"

* * *

Starscream growled low in his throat and deep in his engine. "Fifty stellar cycles and still no sign of that blasted Autobot ship! Damn you Megatron!"

"Oh gracious leader! I'm sure we'll find it!"

"Yes, we'll find it soon, I'm sure."

"Humph, if I were leader we would have found it already!"

"But what if Megatron's still around? He'll kill us for our part in his demise I'm sure!"

"Oh, would all of you shut your traps!"

Starscream smiled at the lash of Skyraider's tongue. His single female clone stood at his side glaring at the rest of his herd of clones. Skywarp, Thundercracker, Sunstorm, and Ramjet all quickly did her bidding. She wasn't second in command of his Seekers for nothing.

Starscream stood and the male clones all cowered. Even the egomaniac Thundercracker knew not to cross Starscream when he was in a mood such as this one. He scanned their Companion's faces. All of them looked exactly like him save for the respective dyes he used on their hair. Skyraider's hair was still dark like his because he knew that there was no way he would mistake her for one of the others. He strode down to the viewing screen and stared up at it. "Nothing."

Skyraider walked forward and laid a hand on his arm. "We cannot give up sir. We must find the Allspark and take Cybertron."

Starscream looked down at her. He knew that it was completely and utterly wrong, but her loved this femme with all his being. It was all that Blackarachnia had accused him of - being in love with himself. But then again Blackarachnia was a viral glitch. She had had the gall to refuse his suit when she first joined them, and for that alone he would always hate her.

He covered her hand with his. "We will find it."

Sunstorm cleared his throat. "Oh gracious leader, we have a signal!"

"What is it?"

"If it isn't the Allspark, then it's something just as powerful."

Starscream sneered but laughed at the same time. He remembered well the last time he'd heard those exact words spoken. "Then get us to it. I want that Allspark!"

* * *

Optimus took in all the scrutiny with a bit of discomfort. He wasn't sure he was liking this kind of attention. All the humans were looking at them like they were Primus' gift to the world, and Optimus was faithful enough to view that as a sacrilege. Sounds buzzed in his ears and audio receptors, but he couldn't pick any out individually. They were all blending together in his head.

He tried to smile, but he felt so, so stilted. So unsure. Since he had been a sparkling he'd dreamed about being a hero. He still remembered so long ago in one of his classes he'd been asked what his dream job would be. He had been so terribly small, so terribly optimistic. He'd blurted out in class that he wanted to be a hero. The rest of the children had burst into laughter, all except two.

"_Hey, I want to be a hero too!"_

"_What's wrong with being a hero? It's a lot better than what you malfunctions want to be."_

Optimus suppressed the pang of pain and regret just in time for someone or some newsbot to click off a picture. Here he was, being lauded as a hero, but he didn't feel like this was truly it. He wasn't a hero, just an imposter. The real hero was Bumblebee for jumping into that thing and Ratchet for devising the override program. All he'd done was hand out some high handed orders and get absorbed by that thing.

"I would like to thank our new friends for their help at my factory, and I personally extend a hand of friendship and peace to the Autobots. I hope my fellow men do the same!" Isaac intoned from the stage.

Optimus plastered a smile on his face and stepped forward. Well, there was no point in disappointing Isaac Sumdac and the people of this planet. His team wasn't a band of great warriors. They were just a ragtag bunch of maintenance bots, too asocial, wacked out, or washed up to work anywhere else in the Autobot forces. This would probably be these Autobots' last moment of triumph.

Sari walked up next and smiled up at her friends. Optimus noticed that she glanced at Prowl several times during her father's long winded speech, and he wondered if the girl realized that she was well on her way to being infatuated. He couldn't really fault her though. Prowl was a handsome mech whether he really knew it or not, and Sari was obviously a healthy human deep in her adolescence. Teenage infatuation wasn't that big a deal.

Optimus realized that it was his turn to speak. "I speak for my team in saying that we are just as glad to be here as you are to have us."

The crowd went wild. He smiled shyly, and not a few of the younger females in the audience felt the need to swoon. This alien guy was incredibly _hot._

"And we hope that you don't mind us sticking around for awhile." he added.

Isaac and the Mayor nodded in agreement. "Stick around as long as you like!" Isaac said.

Optimus nodded and he waved. Bumblebee sidled up to him and began to wave in earnest as well. Bulkhead's booming laugh washed over the crowd and drowned out Prowl's sigh and Ratchet's growl. They reluctantly joined in the waving, but Optimus knew that his navigator and his medic were not happy with the attention. He decided to try and get them out of there as quickly as possible.

He leaned down to Sari. "Hey, when can we leave?"

She glanced up at him and then at the others. "In a few minutes. The press is going to want pictures and try to set up interviews. If you like, I can do all the talking."

Optimus nodded. "Please. Can you try to make it quick? The others and I want to get out of here."

"Sure. I'll ask the press if we can set up another time since you guys aren't used to all the attention. Does that work as an excuse?" she whispered.

"It's the truth isn't it?" Optimus answered with a grin. He didn't realize that the entire crowd could see him consulting with Sari. The female half of the crowd went wild and Optimus looked up with a startled look.

Sari laughed. "Well, I see which one of you is going to be the heartthrob."

Optimus blinked as his Handler looked up that word. He made a puzzled face. "They find me that attractive?"

Sari cocked a brow at him. "Optimus, I don't know about Cybertron, but here you're a hottie."

Optimus looked back at the crowd. He wasn't so sure he wanted to be the heartthrob or the hottie or whatever else they thought to call him. He didn't want to be a pretty face to them and he was beginning to think that he didn't want to be their idol either. This wasn't what real heroes were, right?


	4. Two Decepticon Prongs

_**Author's Notes:** _

**Sckid, AlphaSigma, Lisa of the Anime Fan Team:** Sorry I made you wait!

**Sinead: **Thankees darling. I enjoy playing with canon.

**Tristar: **You would be correct about the two voices.

**DapperCrapper: **Glad you like the concept. You'll be seeing a lot of it from me.

**Wolfgirl: **Actually, I begin to see your point. However, I'll go ahead and say that Prowl is as doomed in this AU as he was in the cartoon. (cries)

**KisaraCrystal: **Well, I hope you don't mind that it's a doomed romance. Sorry!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Two Decepticon Prongs**

Starscream and Skywarp hovered above the city of Detroit with identical looks of disgust. "This place is a dump." Starscream muttered.

Skywarp nodded vigorously in agreement. He was afraid of this place as well, but he knew better than to admit that to Starscream. Skywarp had an almost puppy-like loyalty to his creator, but that was because he knew that Starscream was the strongest mech around. He was useful to Starscream, thus Starscream protected him. He wouldn't do anything to damage his standing with his creator.

"Skywarp, I want you to stir up some trouble in the city." Starscream said suddenly.

"Wh--wh-what?" Skywarp stuttered.

"You heard me." Starscream snapped. "Cause those Autobots some trouble." Skywarp nodded. "I gu-gu-guess I can do that."

"You will do that." Starscream said.

Skywarp nodded, internally wondering how the Pit he was supposed to cause trouble. He flew off toward the southern end of the city, but he wasn't really concentrating on where he was going. It was as he was flying that it came to him how he could carry out Starscream's orders. He smiled evilly.

* * *

Prowl watched the ducks in the pond circle slowly. He was fascinated by these semi-aquatic organics. It was not the first time he'd seen organics other than Companions. Earth's creatures were not terribly unique, but no matter what the planet, Prowl enjoyed the wild life.

"Wow, it's an Autobot!"

The shrill voices of children greeted his audio receptors. He sighed and his Handler began to transform. Whenever anyone started to raise a ruckus about him being an Autobot, Prowl got out of the area fast. He'd already seen what a mob could do. He still didn't think that Prime realized how lucky he'd been when he'd heard those sirens the other day. A few more moments with those teenage girls and the Autobots might have been out a leader.

It wasn't the sonic boom that alerted Prowl to the possibility of trouble, it was the screams of the children who had been moving toward him. He whirled around to see them all laying on the ground, two of them crying in terror. He ran over and knelt beside one of the kids. "Are you alright little one?"

The child nodded. "That plane tried to take off our heads!"

Prowl looked up. The plane was a Harrier jet done in purple and black. He'd never seen a human plane with that coloration. His Handler called up his scanner. The signal he was getting sealed the deal. "Prowl to Prime."

Across the city Prime's head cocked. "Yes Prowl?"

"I think we've got a problem in the Park. I've detected a Cybertronian life signal out here. It's a plane." Prowl explained.

Optimus frowned. "Not good. I'll alert the others." He jumped into his Handler.

Autobots didn't have flight capability.

* * *

Megatron watched the monitor with a sneer. Just the mech he needed, Starscream. The neurotic jet commander had about as much chance of getting what Megatron needed as the humans had of surviving a full onslaught from his forces. Not to mention that Megatron had his suspicions about how his entire left side was blown up.

Professor Sumdac walked into his lab just as Megatron grimaced. He looked at the monitor and gave a gasp of surprise. "What is this?!"

Megatron was quick to capitalize on the opportunity to ingratiate himself with the human. "That is a dastardly Decepticon named Starscream. He will try to destroy your city."

Sumdac began to flutter around the room aimlessly. Megatron decided that he still had to wait until his new soldiers were online.

* * *

Optimus arrived on the scene just in time to see the Harrier jet make another pass at Prowl. The Autobot leader had heard the explosions blocks away. He'd discovered that humans respected the sirens built into his vehicle mode and got out of the way when he came through. "Bumblebee, Bulkhead, where are you?"

"We're coming in. You're right, those sirens work like a charm." Bumblebee answered.

"I can hear explosions Boss-bot. What's going on?" Bulkhead asked.

"It looks like a jet Decepticon." Optimus answered. "Right now he's harassing Prowl, but I don't know how long we have before he gets serious."

On the other end of the connection Bumblebee-Companion smacked his forehead against the wheel of his vehicle mode Handler. "Boss-bot, we're maintenance 'bots. Sure, we can take out some weird nano-roach thing, but this is a gods honest _Decepticon_ we're talking about!"

Bulkhead scratched his head. "Prime, I agree with Bee. The last time we tried to fight the Decepticons, we barely survived."

Prime sighed as he drove up to Prowl. "I know, but we're the only ones on this planet that can take on a Decepticon. It's us or nothing."

Bulkhead and Bumblebee couldn't argue with that. Ratchet made his first comment. "First leader-like thing you've said all day."

Optimus-Companion jumped out of his Handler. "Thanks Ratchet." he muttered.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing Ratchet." he said louder. Just then the jet came right at him. Prime-Handler was mid-transformation as was the jet, and both Autobot and Decepticon realized it too late.

Prowl cringed when he heard the resulting crash and crunch. Optimus Prime-Handler and the Decepticon jet Handler were laying on the ground in a jumble of metal limbs. "I knew this would happen!" the jet screeched annoyingly. "I should have stayed in the ship! I should have run faster when Starscream asked for volunteers!"

Prime snorted. "Yeah, I wish you did too! Now _get off_!"

The jet jumped up, but his left leg was still wrapped around Prime's right arm. Prime was wrenched up and there was a crack. Prime hissed in pain as he felt his shoulder joint pop. The jet looked back, his Companion finally making an appearance. Optimus recognized him from an old vid. "Wait a breem, that's Starscream!"

The Decepticon looked back. "That's right!" he said as he jetted off. Good thing he was a quick thinker. What could cause more chaos than several Starscreams at once?

* * *

Ratchet glared at Optimus. "This is a pretty superficial wound. It'll hurt you for a day or so, but after that you'll be fine."

Prime nodded and gestured to the others. "Anyone else injured?"

Bumblebee tried not to giggle while looking at Prime. He had arrived on the scene just as the collision happened. "Nah, no one else had a run in with the jet."

Prowl gave his comrade a dirty look. "This is serious Bumblebee. Optimus' strange accident aside, we have a major problem."

Optimus looked up at Ratchet. "I'm never going to live it down am I?"

"Probably not." Ratchet answered. "But if Bumblebee gives you trouble, just remind him about that time he pulled a muscle in his Companion's back getting out of the bathing stall. He limped into the med bay with his Companion stark naked."

Bumblebee perked up at his name. "Hey!"

Bulkhead scratched his head. "What I wanna know is why the guy tried to say that his name was Starscream. I saw that vid with you Optimus. Starscream has dark hair not purple hair."

Optimus' head whipped around. "You're right!"

"Then who was the clown that ran amuck in the park?" Sari asked. She was perched on Bumblebee's other shoulder. "If he wasn't this Starscream guy, then who was he?"

Optimus glanced to the sky. "We'll need to find out. This could turn ugly fast if there's more than one Decepticon on Earth."

"He's right." Ratchet said. "We need to get to the bottom of this, and fast."

Bumblebee-Companion slid down his Handler's arm. "How're we going to find him?"

Ratchet walked over to the monitor at the side of the med bay. His Handler rapidly typed in a few commands. "We find em with this."

The monitor showed a topographical map of the Detroit area. There were three flashing dots, two of which were moving. "Those two moving dots are the Decepticons. We're the stationary one."

"Of course." Optimus murmured. "The life scanner."

"But I thought the humans' signals would cause too much noise." Prowl said.

Ratchet shook his head. "No. These scanners look for the signals from the Handler portion of the being."

"Cool." Sari breathed.

"Okay, they're currently flying above Lake Erie. They'll be outside of the range in a few minutes." Ratchet said.

"We'll just have to keep an eye on the scanner." Optimus said. "We must be able to head off future attacks. Next time, we won't get off so -" He stood and jostled his injured shoulder. "Lightly."

* * *

Sari laid in her bed that night, thinking about the Autobots. They were her new friends, and she wanted to help them out. She could look up some of her dad's properties to see if any were still undeveloped. She could set up electricity and water using her personal bank account so that they could have the basics. Hopefully it would be within the Detroit city limits. She wanted to be able to visit them whenever she could.

Sari rolled over and stared out at the stars. She wondered what it was like living on a world where it was okay to be a machine. She tried to imagine what Cybertron was like. Was a technological paradise? "Dad would love it then." she muttered to herself.

Or maybe it was just one huge city. Bumblebee had mentioned how it was strange to see open farmland, but then again Bulkhead had told her that he was a farm boy. She smiled to herself. The idea of a machine being a farm boy was sort of funny. She had asked what he grew and he explained that he grew the food that the Companions ate. He also told her about raising the animals that Cybertronians ate. Six-legged cattle and three-eyed sheep were fun to imagine too.

Then she started thinking about each of them individually. Bumblebee was nice enough. He was bouncy and sunny like his name. Sari liked his youth and enthusiasm. Bumblebee was the kind of guy that she would like to hang out with on a Friday night. She'd never had a real friend before. The robots that her father insisted on her playing with were all well and good, but they were still robots. None of them had the cognitive capabilities of a sentient being. Bumblebee was the first sentient friend she'd ever had.

Bulkhead was a teddy bear of a guy. He was jovial and seemed slow-witted. However, Sari had discovered pretty quickly that he was not so dim as he seemed. He was a good friend too. She was glad that she had him and Bumblebee now. Bee was good for a night on the town, but Bulkhead was better for relaxing time. Bee had no off switch while Bulkhead radiated calmness.

Ratchet was as crotchety as they came, but she liked him. He was the grandfather she never had. Isaac had been around forty when he had taken her in, so she'd never known grandparents. She imagined that Ratchet acted like a grandpa, even though most of the grandpas she'd seen were a good bit nicer than he was.

Then there was Prowl. He was . . . Well, he wasn't really tall, but he was dark and silent. Something about him drew her in, and she wasn't sure what. It was hard for her to say since she had no social skills really. She'd never been on a date, she'd never even had a crush on a boy. Well, she guessed, now she had completely bypassed boys. She had a crush on a man. An alien, half-robotic, God-knows-how-old man, but a man none the less.

Lastly, there was Optimus. She was still a little unsure about him. He was calm, somewhat remote, and she guessed, a bit shy. However, she knew that it was the shyness of someone who didn't like being around a lot of people or someone who was uncomfortable in his own skin, but rather the shyness of someone who was inherently modest. Optimus didn't revel in his celebrity, he seemed to not like it. He didn't like the teenage girls and women - some of his fans weren't that young - drooling over him.

Sari grinned. She didn't blame the girls. She had the feeling that if she hadn't started crushing on Prowl she'd be crushing on Prime. He was very handsome, and he was pretty easy to get along with the two times that they'd hung out.

In all, she really liked the Autobots. As her eyelids finally began to close, she smiled. It was nice to have friends.

* * *

Matthew James Stone had been a police officer. He'd graduated in the top twenty-fifth percentile of his class in both high school and college where he had majored in criminal justice. He had a loving family and a steady girlfriend. His career was off to a good start, and his superiors were optimistic about his future. He was twenty-six years old and ready for the rest of his life.

Then he was killed on duty.

His family and friends mourned deeply. His fellow officers lamented the loss of a great cop. But before they could even perform the autopsy required on murders and other violent deaths, the morgue robot "misplaced" the body.

Only the permanent resident of Isaac Sumdac's lab knew where the body disappeared to. The first of his soldiers was finally ready. At the stroke of midnight, the new creature woke, the first of a new army.

Except that Megatron lost control almost immediately. High within the tower Megatron screamed out his rage. The creature barely heard as he stepped out into the night. He growled. He didn't remember what this place was. He barely remembered how to be a sentient being.

A human-sized head and a great reptilian skull were raised into the night, and screamed out his confusion.


	5. Grimlock

_**Author's Notes:**_

**My-dear-fan girl: **I know I already replied to you, but after I did so, I went back and realized that I am really, really loose lipped! Thank you for calling me on it. As I told you, I'll include a spoiler warning from now on, and in general try to quite spoiling everything in the first place! (smile)

**KiseraCrystal: **Sorry. (pats) I guess I just should have kept my mouth shut. I'll try to from now on.

**Lina Ben: **Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Grimlock**

Sari smiled up at the old, broken down building. "This is perfect."

Bumblebee walked up to her and cocked his head. "Perfect for what?"

"Your base here in the city. You guys can't really stay out in Lake Erie." she explained. "This will make you closer to the action." It would also bring them closer to her, but she didn't say it aloud.

Optimus walked over to the large doors. "It looks a little . . . Rundown. Are you sure your father won't mind?"

"Well, yeah. Dad got this place in a merger awhile ago but was unable to find any financially feasible way of using it. The structure wasn't suited to the kind of factory he needs and it's in an industrial zone so he couldn't really use it for housing like that warehouse he had over in Lansing." Sari further explained.

Bumblebee joined Prime by the door. "Wow, looks like a real fixer upper."

Optimus nodded. "We don't have any money, so how are we going to make this place work for us? It's just the right size for our Handlers, but our Companions will need all the same basics as a human."

She smiled. "I've got you guys covered. My dad gives me a humongous monthly allowance, but I never go out so I rarely spend any of it. According to my bank, I have nearly five-point-five million in my account. It'll be no sweat for me to pick up the tab for you guys."

Optimus and Bee shared a look. They were still new at figuring out Earth currency, but they both knew that five million was a hefty chunk of change by Earth standards. "You're sure you don't mind?" Optimus inquired.

She held up a finger. "Just as long as you guys allow me to renovate a set of rooms so that I can spend the night sometimes. I'm still a little too young to move out, but I'd love to be able to spend the weekend with you guys."

Optimus smiled. "I'll have to talk to Ratchet, Prowl, and Bulkhead, but I think they'll like it."

* * *

The creature skulked about in the alleyway, trying hard to remember what it was that he had forgotten. He knew that it was something important, something really important. As he paced, he listened to the conversations around him from the tenant housing.

" . . . _You never listen to me! Always going out for the next . . ._"

"_I don't know honey, we've got enough to start looking for a house in the suburbs._"

" _. . . I need to find a new job . . . This one sucks . . ._"

" _. . . Things are looking quite __**grim **_. . ."

" _. . . Jefferson Davis Rawlings I will __**lock **_. . ."

It was then that he found a name for himself. "Grim . . . Lock. Grimlock. Me Grimlock!" he said aloud. Then he chortled in glee. He had a name!

But it wasn't just a name that he'd forgotten. He'd forgotten more. "What has me forgotten?" he asked aloud. "Has me Grimlock forgotten what am?"

Just then someone entered the alley. It was a young boy with curly brown hair and brown eyes. His white skin suddenly went whiter when he noticed Grimlock. He ran the other way screaming, and Grimlock ran after him. "Wait you little thing! Do you little thing know what me Grimlock is?"

Once he was in the street the traffic stopped completely, mostly because they now had a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a naked man in the middle of the road. Grimlock barely noticed as he looked around for the child. He paced around the street crying for someone to tell him what he was. "Wait! What am me Grimlock? What am me?"

None of the humans responded with anything useful. They were all screaming and running from him. He grew impatient. "_What am me?!_" he roared.

"Hold it!"

Grimlock whirled towards the voice. He knew that voice! He just didn't know from where though. "Do you thing know what me Grimlock am?"

The police officer was close to wetting his pants, but he stood his ground as the T-Rex and the naked guy walked toward him. "I sa-sa-said to hold it! Now stop moving!"

Grimlock stopped. He cocked his head. He knew this little thing . . . This man! That's what these things were! They were men! And the ones with the little things stuck on them were women! He was remembering.

Then her heard a high pitched, wailing sound. The shaking officer in front of him nearly fainted in relief. Back up was on the way. It arrived in the form of a rather pissed off ambulance. "What's the hoopla?" he asked as he transformed. He then took in the sight of Grimlock.

Grimlock realized with a start that here was someone just like him! "Do you bot know what me Grimlock is?"

Ratchet-Companion cocked an eyebrow and Ratchet-Handler added in a movement of his jaw. "You're obviously not a student of proper grammar."

Grimlock didn't get the sarcasm. "Stu-dent of pro-per gram-ar?" he sounded out.

Ratchet shook his head. "Prime, you won't believe this."

"What is it Ratch?"

"The 'dinosaur' thing? It's a Cybertronian."

* * *

Slipstream stared at Skywarp with an expression of glee. "For once your idea was a good one. We can have Sunstorm, Ramjet, Thundercracker, you, and me distract those Auto-dweebs while Starscream makes off with the Allspark!"

Starscream smiled at his female clone. "Perfect."

Thundercracker snorted. "One problem oh-great leader!"

Sometimes Starscream wished he'd known that giving out pieces of his spark would give each clone a piece of his own personality. It was perfectly fine to let everyone else deal with his egotism, but _he _shouldn't have to deal with it. "What is that?"

Thundercracker looked more smug than usual. "We don't know where the Autobots have stashed it."

The other clones glanced around at each other while digesting this. Starscream felt his irritation ratchet up. "You're right, but it shouldn't be hard to find out where their base is. They will have it there."

Slipstream nodded. "First, we keep blitzing them to find out where their base is, and then we launch our attack."

Starscream smiled at her. "Yes."

Sunstorm nodded vigorously. "Excellent plan master! Excellent!"

Slipstream didn't let it show how much Sunstorm's sycophantic dribble irritated her. Out of all of them, she was possibly the only one who knew the real dynamic of their group. Starscream had asked her what aspect of his nature she was, and she'd told him not to ask. The truth was, she was his femininity, his intuition and cunning. She turned to stare at the planet Earth from her perch in the _Nemesis_'s command center. Some human women hated when their gender was said to be cunning and manipulative. She smiled wider. They hated it because they knew it to be true. Males - both _homo sapiens _and _Cybertrona - _used brute strength and intimidation to get others to do what they wanted. Females used manipulation and cunning. However, some of both genders had a little extra pinch of the other mixed in. Thus you had Starscream harboring enough of a feminine side for it to be a prominent aspect of his nature.

She turned back to the others and smiled at the group. "I'm going to my rooms."

Sunstorm, Ramjet, Skywarp, and Thundercracker just nodded. Starscream waved her away. She sashayed past them and out of the command center. Once out, her Companion sneered. Starscream thought he was the lord over them all, but he was wrong. He was weak not because of what he had in his personality, but what he lacked. He'd survived being in the Decepticons because he was manipulative, sycophantic, cowardly, and a liar, but he'd never truly succeed because he did not allow room for error. He didn't allow in his pea-sized brain and oversized processor the thought that his clones might not want to serve his every whim. He didn't even entertain the notion that while each had an aspect of his nature, they contained more.

Thundercracker was the egomaniac, but he was a _cunning _egomaniac. On more than one occasion Slipstream had observed him utilizing a skill that many Cybertronians never thought to develop: total independence between Handler and Companion. Thundercracker's Companion could do one task while his Handler completely did another, yet whenever any of the others were around he acted like neither part of him could work without the other. Cybertronians all had some independence between Handler and Companion, but only to a certain point. Thundercracker could allow his two halves to be doing two tasks that took completely different sets of skills.

Skywarp was the coward, but Slipstream knew that he was an exceptional liar as well. Ramjet had been honest - which in Slipstream's mind was completely different from telling the truth - once in his life, and that was the time that Skywarp fingered him for swiping Starscream's Energon goodies. Starscream had thought that Ramjet was lying still and Skywarp had gotten off scot-free. This created a war between the two clones. Several times she had to "suggest" that Starscream not allow Ramjet and Skywarp to work together as a team. Skywarp worked better with blustering Thundercracker anyway. The egomaniac got a kick out of "protecting" the coward's tailpipe.

Sunstorm was the sycophant, and he sucked up to everyone. She was convinced that out of all of them, he was the only one that truly liked Starscream and was loyal to him. She had sex with Starscream and led him around by his Companion's genitalia, but she would change allegiances at the drop of a bolt if it meant her continued survival. Sunstorm flattered everyone he came into contact with, but his words were infused with sincerity when he spoke of Starscream. She was the only one that his compliments sounded forced. She was convinced that he knew her to be leading Starscream on, and that meant that he was also an excellent judge of character. Slipstream had no idea how he'd gotten that particular trait. Starscream showed that he had very little of it.

Ramjet the liar also had a keen understanding of how others thought. Slipstream had actually caught him telling the truth on more than one occasion, although both times were limited to tormenting Skywarp. However, it still meant that he knew how to use his lies to manipulate others to do what he wanted. This could have dangerous results for anyone who did not share Ramjet's agenda. She realized that Skywarp would be the first one he turned on, but she could be a very close second.

Slipstream entered her rooms. They were done in her signature teal and purple, and were probably the most comfortable on the ship. She knew that they used to be the quarters of the Decepticon Blackarachnia. Slipstream walked over to her desk and took out the Handler-sized holo-album. She flicked through it. The first holo was of three Cybertronians, two mechs and a femme. She'd seen the second mech when they'd watched the human broadcast of the welcome of the Autobots. He was a handsome one, she'd give him that. She wondered how Blackarachnia knew these three Autobots. Surely she'd never been _friends_ with the little Autobot leader?

* * *

If Slipstream had known the answer to her question was yes, she would have laughed cruelly. As it was, the subject of her musings was watching the scene unfolding in the seamier part of Detroit with a bit of pity. For the first time in a long time she felt _bad _for someone other than herself. She'd watched the poor beast bleating like a lost lamb - to use a colorful Earth simile - and it struck a chord. He was another hybrid like herself, an abomination that never should exist.

Blackarachnia had landed on Earth nearly twenty years before. After escaping the _Nemesis_ she had followed the trail as best she could to find the Allspark. She could care less about Megatron. Even after becoming a Decepticon she had still felt revulsion whenever she looked upon him. She was a Decepticon merely because she knew that Decepticon scientists were more worried about how to crack the space bridge technology rather than dismantle a _freak_ like her.

She watched with some interest when the ambulance arrived. "Ratchet." she murmured to herself. She had also seen the broadcasts.

Ratchet and the creature faced off for a few minutes. She watched as Ratchet slowly circled him, trying to see if there was any obvious flaws in his armor. Then another Autobot arrived. Simultaneously her blood and energon ran hot and cold. Optimus. Back when she'd known him, he had been Optimus Major, a rising star in the Elite Guard Academy. Sentinel used to hate that he had still been a Minor when Optimus had made it to Major, and then to Prime right before that ill fated trip . . .

Blackarachnia shook her head. It was no time to dwell on the past and the pain. Optimus had betrayed her, left her to her fate. Anger rose up to replace the heart wrenching pain that swept over her. She had to find out where the Autobots were hiding. She had to find the Allspark.

* * *

Optimus Prime stared at the man and mech as Ratchet got into position on their other side. Prowl arrived with Bumblebee and Bulkhead in tow. "So this is the problem?" Prowl asked.

"Yes." Prime answered. "I'm not sure how this Grimlock got here, but he is here. He doesn't claim an affiliation though."

Prowl ruminated on that. All Cybertronians were affiliated. "No insignias?"

"Not even the Decepticon sigil." Optimus replied.

The ninja was stumped. "Is it possible that he was marooned before the war? Back in the Golden Age they did send out exploration vessels."

"Somehow, I don't think so. He keeps asking if we know what he is." Optimus said slowly.

Grimlock turned and stared at the newcomers. "Do you bots know what me Grimlock is?"

"That's probably the most grammatically correct thing I've heard him say." Ratchet muttered.

Prowl stepped forward. "You're a Cybertronian." he said.

Grimlock immediately liked this one. He was calm. Grimlock liked calm. "Cyb-er-tron-ian?"

"Yes. Cybertronian. Are you an Autobot or a Decepticon?" the calm bot asked.

Grimlock-Companion furrowed his brow and Grimlock-Handler sat heavily on his haunches. He reached up to scratch his head, but his Handler's diminutive limbs couldn't make it. "Me know not what those are."

Prowl looked back at Prime. "He's not lying."

Prime shook his head. "Then we'll take him back to the new base. Sari said that she'd have the electricity up before the day's out. He can stay there while we figure out what to do about him."

Ratchet-Companion walked over to an old woman who was standing on her apartment building's stoop holding a blanket. "Ma'am, may I borrow that blanket?"

The woman looked to be in her second or third century of life. She smiled at him. "It's what I brought it out for. I watched the entire thing, and all I could think about was how heartbreaking that poor young man was. Running around looking like he was five and lost his mama. I decided to try to come calm him down when I saw you show up."

Ratchet didn't grin often, but he felt the temptation. "Mighty nice of you ma'am." he said with a small flash of teeth.

The decrepit matron actually giggled.

* * *

Sari smiled at Grimlock as she handed his Companion some hot chocolate. She turned back to Bumblebee as the young bot finished up his story.

" . . . And then the woman giggled! Like Ratchet was some sort of Tracks!" he ended with a laugh.

Sari cocked an eyebrow. "Who is Tracks?"

"He was an infamous womanizer back during the war." Ratchet explained sourly.

Sari smiled. "Why so glum Ratchet? You do have quite the following you know."

"What?!" the medic snapped.

"Yeah. I set up an internet poll on my blog that went viral." she explained. "Turns out a lot of the older women and even a sizable number of young ones find you hot. One even commented that you reminded her of a TV character from the early century named House."

Ratchet-Companion turned red and looked down. "Humph." The word was said with no bite however.

"What about the rest of us?" Bumblebee asked. He hopped up on the new concrete couch made for the Handlers. The Companions only had some cushions to sit on as of yet.

Sari smiled wider. "Well, Bulkhead has the smallest following, but I think his fans are going to be the best."

"Why do you say that?" Bee asked with a squint.

"They're the kind of fans that won't mob him when he moves around. Mostly he has the single moms and working moms. They mostly admire how dependable he seems. They all value that in a man." she explained. "Bulkhead also has a lot of heterosexual men who think he's cool because he's all muscle."

"Okay. What about Prowl?" he asked as he handed Grimlock a napkin.

"Prowl has a wide range. His core fan base are the Goths, anime fans, and young boys. They like ninjas." she said with a sly look in her crush's direction. Prowl didn't show any reaction to this fact.

"And Optimus?" Bee continued.

"Optimus has the second largest following according to my poll. His core fans are the younger women, between the ages of seventeen and thirty, most of which are single. He also has the most men, with most being heterosexual with a sizable homosexual portion." she explained. "Next to yours Bee, he's got the fan group that I think will be the biggest problem."

Bumblebee sat up straight. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you have the most fans, and your core fan base constitutes the most obnoxious fans." she said, making a face. "You've got the tweens."

Grimlock looked up from his hot chocolate. "Me Grimlock don't want be you."

Prowl's head snapped up. Something was off. "Why do you say that Grimlock?"

He shrugged. "Me have tween sister. They annoying."


	6. Memory

_**Author's Notes:**_

**KisaraCrystal: **Well, I really love how in Animated Grimlock was the big puppy dog, so I decided to really play it up. Glad you like it.

**Sinead: **Maybe they did. Grimlock was one of the robots created on Earth, so some of the other readers were wondering how I'd work them in. Don't worry, by not seeing the series you won't miss too much more.

**Sweetyamiryugigirl: **I try to update all of my stories quickly, but my muse can be stubborn sometimes. Sari and Megatron's relationship is one of the things you'll have to wait for the explanation of. As for "priestess", I assume you mean from where I mentioned it in the prologue. That's actually a reference to my movie-verse fic where you meet Sari acting as a priestess for the gods Primus and Primacon. That particular Sari is actually from a completely different world than either canon Sari or Detroit 2050 Sari.

**Happyfish: **As I explained to Sweetyamiyugigirl, I try to update all of my stories relatively quickly, but my muse if very fickle. At least you're not waiting three months this time.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Memory**

Megatron was still in a foul mood the next evening when Isaac came into the lab. He'd lost control of his new soldier and what's more, according to the building log, Sari had been scouting out the Sumdac Industries holdings. This raised red flags with him since she'd never had any interest in the company before. She was up to something.

"Good evening Magnus!" Isaac said cheerily.

Megatron pasted a false smile on his Companion's face. He'd learned long ago to not even attempt to manipulate his Handler's facial plates since the macabre parody of a smile freaked Isaac out. "Good evening Professor. What had you out of the lab all day?"

Isaac booted up the computer. "You will never guess what I have discovered! Well, what my exploration teams discovered."

"And what is that?" Megatron said with false interest.

"They found a large metallic ruin on a small island out in Lake Erie. I think it may be the rest of your body!"

This made Megatron take notice. "You are sure?" This time, the excitement was not faked.

"Not completely, but initial results indicate the same type of energy readings as your Handler's head. I do believe it is the rest of your Handler!"

"It must be uncovered immediately!" Megatron thundered.

Isaac looked taken aback by Megatron's tone. Too late the Decepticon realized that he'd spoken with too much authority infused in his voice. "I apologize for the rude tone, but I am ready to return to my body."

Isaac smiled and nodded. "I can understand. I will have my drones on it immediately!"

Megatron waited until Isaac's back was turned before he smiled evilly. Soon, very soon. It didn't matter that his first soldier prototype was a failure. He would still boot up the second. Maybe his Soundwave model would prove more willing to listen to his commands.

* * *

The Autobots stared at Grimlock.

"Come again?" Optimus said.

"Me Grimlock have tweeny sister." He cocked his head and scratched it, his Handler going down to meet his hand rather than having his hand meet his head. "Come think of it, me Grimlock think she love Bumblebee-bot too."

The Autobots and Sari were speechless. "But that's impossible." Bee said. "He can't be Cybertronian and have a tween sister. . . . Can he?"

Prowl nodded agreement. "This isn't right. Something is wrong."

Grimlock looked around with an expression of confusion. "Something wrong with me Grimlock?"

Ratchet cast a look at Prime. It was Bulkhead who answered however. "No, we mean that's there's something wrong with this entire situation."

Prime sighed. "Something is really wrong. Grimlock, with your permission, I'd like Ratchet to run a complete system check."

Ratchet looked up at his leader. "System check?"

"I want us to be sure that Grimlock is actually Cybertronian. Too many things are out of place for him to really be one of us. He has no idea what he is, no affiliation, and now he has a sister who we can only guess is human."

Ratchet nodded and looked over to Grimlock. "What'do'ya say big fella? Gonna let me see under your hood?"

Grimlock looked confused. "But me Grimlock have no hood."

"It's a figure of speech." Ratchet replied grimly.

"Oh. Okay. Me Grimlock let you look."

* * *

Sari went home that night with a million questions whirling around her head. Ratchet's system check - the equivalent of a full medical exam for the Companion - had turned up some really interesting and really frightening stuff.

Firstly, Grimlock-Companion was a true cyborg. According to Ratchet's analysis, his body was Technorganic on a scale that was not even seen on Cybertron. He had not only the typical nano machines, but also an artificial heart and part of his brain. Several other organs including his liver and part of his stomach were artificial as well. "I can't be sure," Ratchet had said, "But it looks to me that someone _rebuilt_ him. He also has scarring that indicates puncture wounds over his heart and stomach."

Sari had seen round holes like those before. They were bullet wounds. She didn't say anything to Ratchet, but the more she looked, the more she had to agree with him. Someone had rebuilt Grimlock-Companion.

His Handler also showed signs of being built instead of the traditional growth present in Handlers. Ratchet had explained that Handlers and Companions both grew, but they grew in spurts rather than in the steady growth that humans had. The spurts were irregularly spaced and corresponded to the four main stages of a human's life: infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Bulkhead and Bumblebee explained that they were in fact still in their own late adolescence, known to them as their youngling stage. Ratchet was in his late adulthood, and Optimus and Prowl were both in their early adulthood. Cybertronians spent a short time as infants or protoforms, a pretty long time as sparklings, a good stretch as younglings, and then the rest of their lives as adults.

The reason Sari kept her realization to herself was because she had a clue who would have the technology and the resources to do such a thing. Her father, Isaac Sumdac certainly knew how to build nano machines and had already rebuilt someone once. He could very well do it again, but why add a Handler? How did he do it? Was that what the artificial portion of the brain was for?

Still, the question kept circling back to why her father would feel the need to build a Handler and Companion in the first place. And why would he not allow the Companion to remember anything of his past life? It just didn't seem like her father. Her father was always trying to improve the trash bots or the police drones. He cared about making better robots for a wider range of tasks. So far Grimlock only really seemed capable of acting like an oversized puppy. It didn't add up at all.

She entered the tower and waved at the receptionist robot. "Hey Dolores."

"Good evening Ms. Sumdac. I trust your outing was nice?" the robot replied in her distinct voice.

"Yeah, it was okay." Sari answered as she walked past. Sumdac tower was huge, but it was home. Right now, though, it didn't really feel like home. It felt like she didn't even know it anymore.

Sari plugged her key card into the slot and waited for the elevator. She fingered the key that she wore around her neck. Ever since the first day over two weeks ago when she'd saved Prowl's life the key had lain dormant on her chest. She wondered if the charge that the Allspark had given it - and that's really all she could call that strange event - had been temporary.

The elevator doors opened and Sari got into the car. She waited patiently until it got to the top floor where she and her father lived. She walked out into the gray hallway and then straight to her door. She inserted her key card and then walked in.

Her room was one large room sectioned off by shoji screens painted pink and black to match the color scheme of the room. Her living area contained a large screen TV and a large, dark pink couch. Behind another set of screens was her dressing area that included her walk in closet. Then there was her bedroom area that housed her king sized pink canopy bed. The sheets had changed from pink to black over the years. In the corner of this area was her tutor-bot. She hadn't used him in years.

Sari walked over to the dressing area and pulled off her shoes. She set them in their proper place and then set about undressing. She preferred to sleep in only in her underwear, so she muted the windows so she didn't accidentally flash the window cleaner-bots, and then climbed under the covers.

Sari decided to actually try to sleep, so she tried to think of things that had little to nothing to do with Grimlock and his mystery. The first thing was that she'd have to go out shopping for furniture and things for the Autobots. Probably would be best to invite them all out so that they could choose their own stuff. It'd be a great opportunity to hang out with Prowl. He was the only one that she hadn't really hung out with because he always seemed so aloof. Maybe a shopping expedition would be just the thing.

That led her to another thought. She'd have to go out and buy a new set of pajamas if she was going to sleep over sometimes. It was okay to sleep in the buff in her own home, but just in case it would be best to sleep in actual clothing when she was over there. Sari grimaced. She hated feeling constricted. That's why she favored the same clothing that she'd worn since she was a child: a long sleeved mini-dress with leggings and boots. The fit was almost like she had a second skin, and was very comfortable. She had them made by her very own tailor-bot. Unfortunately, the tailor-bot could only make dresses. Thus the need to actually shop elsewhere for sleepwear. She _could _ask her dad to upgrade the tailor-bot, but she didn't figure that it was worth her father's time. She'd only need one pair, and she had enough pairs of pants should she need them.

Sari shifted underneath the covers. Maybe she'd just get the tailor-bot to make a dress out of lightweight cotton. She could change the cut so that it was more of a formfitting sheath. She could probably sleep in that. And if all else failed . . . She could install a lock on the door and blinds on the windows.

* * *

Optimus laid down on the berth in the ship, questions still whirling in his head. They'd brought Grimlock with them to the ship, but it was only for the night. Sari had electricity and water in the old factory and she'd promised to take them furniture shopping the next day so they could move in permanently sometime tomorrow. Each Autobot had already chosen a room for himself and Grimlock had been let in on it. The Autobots couldn't just leave him without a place to stay.

The mystery of Grimlock was one that was bothering Prime with a vengeance. From all reports, Grimlock had been built and rebuilt out of regular Earth supplies and either a dead or dying human body. His Handler only held the bare minimum destronium circuitry and many of his synapse relays were faulty at best. Ratchet was already preparing to spend an extra day on the ship trying to replace some of them before poor Grimlock died from faulty synapses.

Optimus honestly didn't know what to make of it. First the Starscream imposter the day before, and now this. What was next? A visit from Megatron? He gave an involuntary shudder. He could still feel Megatron's strong hand around his neck promising certain death. To this day he had no idea how he survived that fight. Ultra Magnus had told him not to try to be a hero, but trying not to be a hero had landed him in the role of one. Optimus had no illusions, he really did not know how he had had the strength to break free of Megatron's grasp. It was almost as if _something_ had help him . . .

Optimus shook his head. His Companion turned on his side and stared at the wall of his berth. He was staring at an old war poster. On it was a middling tall mech who shared the same coloration as he did. Would his grandsire be proud of him? He'd attained his goal of becoming a Prime just in time to be washed out from the Autobot Elite Guard Academy.

"_Shouldn't you be like, leading the Elite Guard or something_?"

Optimus squeezed his eyes and optics shut. Bumblebee's innocent question still stung a bit. He should be. It had been part of his dream to be. It seemed a heck of a lot simpler back when he'd been an orphaned sparkling with nothing of his own except his Companion's clothing and the framed war poster from times past. He'd become a Prime like his Grandsire Nova and do something great and be called a hero.

And then he'd met Sentinel and Elita-1. When he'd shown incredible scores at his orphanage school he'd been sent to an academy that taught the offspring of Elite Guard officers and other high ranking Autobots. It was there that he'd met Elita and Sentinel. His teacher had asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he'd answered truthfully. He'd wanted to be a hero. The other children had laughed, but Elita had piped up. She'd wanted to be a hero too, and Sentinel had stood up as well. They walked with him out of that classroom, and from then on they'd been inseparable.

Optimus had learned early on that Sentinel often got into trouble because of his overbearing arrogance, but he was the son of Ultra Magnus, so it was probably to be expected. Elita-1's father was an Elder called Alpha Trion, but she wasn't arrogant or spoiled in the least. In fact, if she hadn't shown so much interest in Sentinel, he would have gotten up the nerve to ask her to the Annual Ball . . .

But they were both gone now. Elita-1 died on that ill fated trip to a Decepticon ship ruin and Sentinel Prime was firmly in the running to be the next Magnus. He'd done all the right things to get to the top. Optimus felt no envy for him. He'd been friends with Sentinel long enough to realize that his lashing out at Optimus was him trying to deal with the guilt. Sentinel blamed him for losing the femme that Sentinel loved. Optimus couldn't be angry when it was the truth.

* * *

Blackarachnia stared up at the moon. He thoughts were consumed by old memories, memories that were best forgotten.

"_You guys don't think I'm stupid for wanting to be a hero?_"

"_Course not glitch-head. My dad's the Magnus. Being a hero is in my blood and energon._"

"And I think heroes are awesome." she quoted. The first time she'd seen Optimus he had been a shy sparkling whose Companion's lips had been too big for his face and whose Handler's limbs had been too long for his torso. She couldn't help but smile at the picture. As a child Optimus hadn't been one of the more attractive mechs. He'd been the rare ugly kid, but then he grew up. His Companion's face grew into his lips and his Handler into his limbs. Maybe it had been because she hadn't seen him for so long, but she finally realized that Optimus was quite attractive.

She shook her head. None of it mattered though. Optimus still _left her behind_ when she needed him most. He deserved to rot in the Pit for that. First, he'd help her rid herself of her spider half, and then she'd send him to the Pit. Blackarachnia didn't know how many times a day she'd say this to herself. Still, every time she saw Optimus she felt like crying, but she couldn't.

Spiders can't cry.


	7. Webs

_**Author's Notes:**_

**Sweetyamiyugigirl, Happyfish, KisaraCrystal: **Sorry this took longer than I thought it would. My muse got a lil stuck.

**VeekaIzhanez: **Maybe she is, maybe she isn't, maybe she's just emo. Hell, I'm the writer and I'm still not completely sure. (Joking)

**Oh By The Way: **Due to a huge revamp, forget everything I've ever said about where this story is going. All spoilers before now? Mostly gone. Not saying anymore, and I will not answer questions. You'll just have to read to find out.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Webs**

"How about this one?" Sari chirped.

Prowl looked it over. "It looks serviceable enough."

"So you like the futon?"

"Yes. It should go very well with the rest of my décor."

Sari looked up at the salesperson. "We'll take it." She looked back at Prowl. "I don't know why I never thought that you'd like Oriental style furnishings."

Prowl-Companion's lips quirked in one of his small grins. "I understand that ninja are associated with anything Oriental?"

Sari grinned in return as they walked out of the store. "Really only with the Japanese culture, but yeah, pretty much."

"I did some research on the Japanese. They are fascinating."

Sari had to repress the shiver that raced up her spine. Oh, he said that word very nicely. "I guess. I never really got into studying other cultures."

"No? Then where do your interests lie?" he asked politely as he walked toward his Handler.

"Mostly in robotics like my dad. I just don't tinker with them as much. I mostly like to fix ones that break down." she explained. "I know it sounds strange, but I like making robots work again."

Prowl handed her the extra helmet that he'd obtained once he learned of Detroit's helmet law. "That does not sound weird. It's actually admirable. You would make a good medic."

"You think?" she asked breathlessly.

"Very much so." he answered. His Companion straddled his Handler and he waited for her to get on. Prowl was trained to be observant, so he knew that Sari had a special infatuation with him. He couldn't say that he was displeased. Sari was a beautiful young woman, but the fact remained that she was still very young. That fact that she was human did not help, but Prowl thought that he could take the fact that she was of a different species. His master had once told him of his mate, a young female of the Nebulon species. They'd had no children, but neither had wanted any. The Nebulon woman believed herself tainted because of a past transgression and Yoketron had met her in the midst of the War. Yoketron had not wanted to leave an orphan behind and the Nebulon had not wanted to pass on her taint.

"_My only regret was that she was not as long lived as I. She died even before I left my prime. That is my only warning about mating outside of our species young Prowl. You may love her, but can you watch her die?_"

Prowl-Companion glanced back as Sari secured the helmet. She smiled at him through her visor. He leaned forward and felt her along his back as she locked her hands around his waist. Prowl-Companion shook his head. He would need to think about this turn of events. Maybe they could court each other, and see what came of it.

The questions would be what if they suited? What would he do then? He did not believe that he had it in him to watch another loved one die, especially one such as Sari. She'd saved his life and shown incredible courage. From what Prowl had seen in the last two weeks, the humans were still very nervous about the Handlers. Sure, they had quite a few fans that weren't afraid of the Handlers, but he'd seen some of Prime's fan girls shying away from Optimus-Handler. Sari had barely blinked at being handled by Bumblebee-Handler. According to him, she'd begged to come aboard after the battle. Prowl thanked the gods for that. Otherwise, he might be floating in the Well of All Sparks.

As he rode through traffic with her behind him, he wondered at the direction of his thoughts. So, he'd court her, but that didn't mean that he would mate her. They had just as much chance of breaking it off in a year or so. Still, this warranted some deep meditation.

* * *

Soundwave came online slowly. He ran the systems check and learned that his systems were fine. "I am online Master."

Megatron's face blinked onto the screen in front of the mech. "Good. Your first task to discover what Sari is doing out in the city everyday. She has been leaving my sight far too much lately."

"Of course sir." Soundwave said as he started to exit.

Back up in Sumdac's lab, Megatron smiled contentedly. He would soon know what she was doing and keep better tabs on her. She was a project sixteen years in the making, not long by Cybertronian time true, but still important. She was truly the first of her kind. If either she or her father really knew . . .

Isaac Sumdac had told his daughter that he had rebuilt her, but that was the farthest thing from the truth. Isaac had found the child yes, but Megatron had arranged for her to be left on Isaac's doorstep when he still lived in that old farmhouse outside of the city limits. The child's body was ravaged by the effects of Paradise and alcohol consumed by her pregnant mother. Isaac had brought her to Megatron, just as Megatron had planned, and Megatron told Isaac to let him take care of it.

Megatron-Companion shifted slightly. He had taken some of the undamaged circuitry from his hand and his own Companion DNA to rebuild Sari Sumdac. She was the perfect melding of bodies, a Companion who had her Handler within, a Companion that could possibly transform her own body.

Most importantly, by repairing her genetic damage with his own DNA, she became his daughter in his eyes and optics.

Megatron was a lot of nasty things. He was a ruthless dictator that would do anything to achieve his goals. He had no sympathy for anyone, even himself, and he would be caught dead before he did one truly altruistic act. He did have one passably admirable trait: he protected his own. Sari was not just a possession, she was offspring. That made her far more important than quite a few of his soldiers and he would feel regret it if he ended up destroying her. That was why he had to know what she was doing. Paternal instincts as a rule did not flow strongly in any male Cybertronian's blood and energon, but Megatron had enough to actually sort of care about his offspring.

He had designed her education, her clothing, and everything else about her upbringing because he was aware that she was probably the one chance he would have to have children. He was not fond of young in general, but now that he had one, he found that he rather liked the thought. Young minds that he could meld into whatever form he wished, as if they were molten metal just waiting to be struck into weaponry . . .

Sometimes he'd wondered why he'd never thought of it before.

His one mistake, now that he thought about it, was not revealing himself earlier. He could have warned her to stay away from the Autobots. He could have brought her up to be the perfect Decepticon. But that was the past, and Megatron lived in the now. He needed to find his wayward daughter and bring her under his wing.

Only there would she be safe from Autobot corruption. Only there would his "little quartz doll" be groomed to rule with him. Megatron had little paternal instinct, but he did have the urge to give his child the world on a platter.

* * *

Optimus-Companion adjusted the baseball cap and thanked the gods that no one had realized who he was yet. He'd learned the hard way that it was best to try to be incognito when he was exploring the city. Sari had helped him choose a disguise that would hopefully keep his raving fan girls off of his back. It was hard to explore the human culture when you had a whole herd of females following you like dogs chasing a bone.

He glanced back at the street behind him. His Handler was following at a discreet distance, and all the attention was on the fire truck. Optimus-Companion sighed. It was frustrating having to do this, but Sari said that it was possible that in a few weeks the fascination would die down. He hoped she was right.

Optimus-Companion found the entrance to the park and walked a ways into the place. It reminded him of the Tagon Heights of his youth. Optimus was not a city born Autobot like Bumblebee or Prowl. His mother had raised him until he was a young sparkling out on the Heights. As he scented the trees and flowers of the park, he remembered vaguely his days running around the fields before his mother died. It was why the park was one of his favorite places in the city.

Someone ran into him, sending them both to the ground. He slowly rose up and twisted his body to glance at the woman who was still sprawled on his legs. She was a little thing - probably wouldn't touch his chin with the top of her head - with pale skin. In startling contrast her hair was a rich black. Optimus couldn't see her eyes from his vantage, but he was able to note that her skin was translucent enough for him to see the webbing of her veins. "I'm sorry." he said. "I didn't-"

He stopped abruptly when she raised her head. She was beautiful, but it was who she looked like that had him stopping cold. "Elita-1?" he breathed.

The woman stared for a moment before cocking an eyebrow. "Who?"

Optimus-Companion shook his head. She couldn't be Elita-1, especially with that voice. It was husky and without a hint of the Iacon accent that had flavored Elita's speech. Elita's voice had been slightly higher, smoother, and without the hint of a growl that made this woman's voice unique. The face must just be a coincidence. "I'm sorry, you look like someone I used to know." he answered, his voice sad and soft.

The woman cocked a brow. "Oh." She levered herself up and then stood by as Optimus stood. She smiled at him. "Sorry I ran into you, I wasn't watching where I was going."

Optimus-Companion noticed that her eyes were a pretty green. "It's alright."

She knelt and picked up his hat. One of his hands flew to his head when he realized that without it, his blue hair was shining like a beacon in the bright sunlight. She handed it to him. "I didn't want to say anything since I figured you had a good reason to be hiding."

He blushed, and she smiled brighter. "You are cute." she murmured.

"What?" he asked, his blue eyes registering his confusion.

She laughed. The sound was low and vaguely sexual. "I've heard all kinds of conversations from the girls at work about how cute they thought Optimus Prime-Companion was, but I'd never actually seen you up close to have an opinion." she explained.

He tentatively smiled at her. "Oh. Well I, uh, can't help that. But thanks."

She nodded. "So, who was Elita-1? I mean, if it's okay that I ask."

His smile died. "She was someone I used to know."

"Oh, what happened?"

His eyes turned back to the trees that lined the path. His face was expressionless, but the turmoil within was a hurricane. "She died."

The woman grimaced. "Sorry, I can be a bit nosy sometimes. I shouldn't have pushed."

He looked back at her. He shook his head. "No, it is alright. It was a long time ago."

She looked around and then pasted another big smile on her face. "Well, I just realized that I've been prying into your private life without at least introducing myself first. My name is Jezebel. Jezebel Delilah Arnold."

"Greetings, Ms. Arnold. I am Optimus Prime." he said shyly. "Although you must have already guessed."

Jezebel's smile became genuine. "It's hard to miss. Your face has been plastered on the evening news for weeks."

Optimus-Companion colored under her gaze. He realized that for the first time in years he was interested in a member of the opposite sex. Jezebel was beautiful, but he had been around beautiful femmes before. As he studied her face, he worried that he was only interested because of her resemblance to Elita-1. He hoped that wasn't it, because that would be highly insulting to Jezebel.

Jezebel glanced toward the park gates. "I guess that's your Handler out there hunh?"

Optimus-Companion looked over and nodded. "It's going to be heck for me to get out of here with all of those people surrounding me."

Jezebel nodded. "Want some help?"

He turned to look at her, and she winked up at him. She took back his hat and then walked over to a young man who was walking through the park. She spoke to him for a moment, and then Optimus realized that she was trading the young man his hat for Optimus'. She smiled, and walked back over to him. "Put this on."

Optimus-Companion put on the hat while he watched her walk over to the groupies that surrounded his Handler. She said something to them, and then pointed to the young man who was walking away from them. The group, nearly as one, screamed and ran towards the young man. Jezebel ran over to Optimus-Companion and took his arm. "Come on! You've only got a few seconds before they realize he ain't you!"

Optimus-Companion jogged along with her, his stride eating up two of hers. He made it to his Handler before the groupies realized that the boy wasn't him. "Hey," he said, "Do you come to this park often?"

Jezebel smiled brightly. "This is how I get home from work."

"Would you meet me here tomorrow?"

She looked surprised by his request. "Sure. Same time?"

He gave her one of his brightest smiles. "Yeah."

"Then it's a date." she said. Jezebel glanced up and then grimaced. "You better go!"

He smiled and then dived into his cab.

* * *

Skywarp had observed the scene in the park with some glee. His Companion had been near enough to hear the conversation that had occurred between the human femme and the Autobot leader. If they met here often, if they created a routine, they could factor it into the plans as they were.

Skywarp nodded to himself, and allowed a moment of satisfaction to come through. He hoped that Starscream would be pleased. "Hello."

Skywarp whirled to find himself facing someone whom he had been told about, but had never thought to meet. "Blackarachnia?"

The spider hissed. "So, you do know me, but I don't know you. I know you can't be Starscream, his colors are different."

Skywarp retreated a bit from the trees. "I am Skywarp, one of Starscream's clones."

"Clones? So the fragger got that thing to work?" she asked, her bored tone hiding her astonishment.

"Ye-yes." Skywarp stammered, sensing the femme's anger. "What do you want with me?"

"Want with you? Nothing. As long as you don't get in my way, I won't hurt you." she hissed.

Skywarp nodded vigorously. "I won't get in your way, I promise."

"Sure you do. If Starscream created you, then you're just as much a liar as he is." she snarled.

He backed up a step. "I promise I won't do anything to get in your way!"

Blackarachnia-Handler transformed, and Skywarp immediately lost his train of thought. He'd always thought that Slipstream was the most beautiful femme he'd ever seen, but he was wrong. The spider robot was simply stunning, as beautiful as she was strong. He knew from the way that Starscream ranted about her that she had dared to defy him on many occasions. "You are beautiful."

Blackarachnia hissed angrily. "Do not mock me!"

Skywarp cringed away. "No! No! I do not mock you, beautiful one! I speak the truth; you are the most beautiful Handler I've ever seen! Where is your Companion so that I may gaze upon her as well?"

His outmoded language definitely meant that he spent a lot of time around Starscream. "Behind you."

He whirled and gasped. "All of you is beautiful."

Blackarachnia-Companion cocked a dark brow. "Is that so?"

"Yes, you are the most beautiful Cybertronian I've ever seen. Even Slipstream pales in comparison." he whispered, completely taken by her beauty and her strength. Both were equally strong aphrodisiacs to his cowardly soul.

"Slipstream?" she prompted. "Who is that?"

"Another clone. Starscream's partner." he answered.

Blackarachnia realized that she had a gold mine here. The dupe really thought that she was beautiful, and he was tripping over himself in her presence. "Well, I always did wonder what Starscream was up to lately." She smiled at him. "I haven't seen him in so long. Come; tell me all about Starscream and his clones."

Said the spider to the fly-boy.


	8. Skywarp's Mutiny

_**Author's Notes:**_

**Sckid:** Thank you. And I'm glad that I'm making you happy. I write for my own pleasure, but if I can make a lot of people happy in the process, it makes it that much better.

**Sweetyamiyugigirl: **Most of your questions are answered this chapter. In fact, one of them was actually the inspiration for part of it. Have fun!

**Baby bumble bee: **Glad you're enjoying this.

**Koi: **Thank you. I'm glad that you're having a blast with it.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Skywarp's Mutiny**

"Are you Sari Sumdac?"

Sari turned to find herself facing two girls in the small boutique in Detroit's high end shopping district. She had come here looking for a birthday gift for her father. He didn't really approve of her going out on her own, but she loved to go out like this. "Yeah." she said simply.

The two girls gave each other satisfied looks. "We just, well-" the blonde began.

"We wanted to know what the Autobots are like." her brunette companion stated. She had the look of a spoiled brat to her, Sari thought unkindly.

"Why do you want to know?" she countered, not liking this conversation even though she usually suffered through it with better humor.

"We're curious." the brunette stated.

The blonde glanced at her friend and then back at Sari. "Is it scary hanging out with all those robots?"

For some reason, the simple question ticked Sari off to no end. "What kind of question is that? Of course _not._ The Autobots aren't scary at all!"

"No, I was just asking about the robots, not the men."

It suddenly hit Sari that the girl didn't understand the arrangement. "Don't you understand? The robots and the men are one being. The robots are just as gentle as the men."

The blonde looked confused while the brunette huffed. Sari continued her rant. "Think of it like this. The men are what's inside of those robots. Who is your favorite?"

The brunette didn't answer, obviously deciding that Sari was a major bitch. The blonde hesitated. "Optimus Prime." she finally blurted.

Sari nodded. "Have you ever noticed that his Handler's face always wears the same expression that his Companion's does?"

The girl nodded. Sari cocked her head. "And has it occurred to you that his Handler is shaped just like his Companion?"

The blonde wrinkled her nose. "Shaped?"

"Yeah. They both have broad shoulders, lean hips, and long legs. They have the same body type." she explained.

The blonde's face lit up as she realized what Sari was talking about. "Oh! You're right!" The girl looked down and then back up. "I guess . . . I guess you're right about the robots not being that . . . Scary after all."

Sari smiled and nodded. "The 'robots' are called Handlers."

The blonde nodded. "Thanks."

"You never answered the original question." the brunette huffed. She was not impressed by her friend's epiphany.

Sari gave the girl a cool glance. "They're like you would think they are. Optimus Prime is shy, Prowl hates attention, Bumblebee is hyper, Bulkhead is a sweetie, and Ratchet is a grouch. Now, excuse me because I must be on my way."

The brunette sneered while the blonde glanced at her friend worriedly. Sari strode out of the boutique; sorry that she was probably going to be the reason the poor blonde would have to put up with a sullen friend. She was angry at the brunette for being rude, but it was the blonde's words that really got to her. She knew that some people were still wary of the Handlers, but she didn't realize that it was to the point that fan girls were afraid of one half and attracted to the other.

This led to Sari wondering if she was only attracted to one half of Prowl. She knew undeniably that she was attracted to his Companion, but what about his Handler? She conjured his Handler's image in her mind. He shared Prowl's build; short and muscular, but at the same time lithe. His Handler's face had the same slightly aristocratic structure of his Companion's. She knew for sure that she didn't find the Handler repugnant, but if his Companion was not around would she still be attracted to him?

Sari froze when she realized that the answer was yes. Yes, she would still be attracted to Prowl even if he had no Companion because the Companion was not all that he was. Companion or Handler didn't matter because her attraction was to who he was, not what he was. She realized that what she had told the blonde girl was right; the Companions were what was inside the Handlers.

"The men within the machines." she whispered to herself, not realizing how that very truth rung across time and space.

* * *

Optimus-Companion scanned the park, hoping that he wasn't too late, even though his chronometer had recorded this as the exact time that he was to meet Jezebel. He fidgeted, and then realized what he was doing. He hadn't fidgeted since he was little mech and his mother had been staying a long time in the medic's office . . .

"Hi."

The husky voice floated over Optimus-Companion from behind. He turned to see Jezebel holding up a bag. "I stopped by BurgerBot to grab some supper. Would you like some fries?"

His Companion smiled. "Sure."

Jezebel sat down heavily. "Gah, today was rough. I feel so worn out."

"I can sympathize. Sometimes I wonder why I ever wanted to be a leader." he said.

She cocked one black brow. "Really?"

He sat back, slouching slightly. "It's okay when I'm doing things that are for the good of all like leading my mechs into a burning building to save a child, but at other times, being the only one with a level head has led me to doing things that I've regretted ever since."

Jezebel nodded. "I see. So, what's you're home world like?"

He smiled. "Not to far from Earth in some places. The climate is slightly different though. This place reminds me of my youth. I grew up in a rural area."

"You did?"

"Yes. At least until my mother died."

Jezebel made a sad face. "That's horrible. How did she die?"

Optimus-Companion's eyes were far away. Jezebel realized that he was deep in the past. "She had a mental illness that no therapy could seem to help. She lost the will to live, and that alone is more than enough to kill a Cybertronian."

Jezebel had been in the middle of chewing her hamburger, but stopped when he said that. "Whoa."

"Yes." he said. "My father had died vor-years before. He had been in the Security Forces, and he was called in to help put down an uprising on a distance world. I was only a birthling when he died."

"That's so sad." she murmured. "I can't imagine how you got through that. My father and mother were healthy and my family is a happy one."

"Then I'm glad." he responded. "I do not wish what happened to me on anyone."

They sat in silence for a few moments while Jezebel ate her burger. She swallowed and then turned back to him. "So tell me, how long do you plan on being here?"

Optimus started a bit. "I do not know. We're trying to contact our superiors, but so far there has been no response."

"Oh." she said. "Well, at least you won't be leaving soon."

He cocked a brow. She smiled in reply. "I like being around you. I'd like to get to know you."

He was stunned speechless. The look on his face was probably comical because Jezebel began to laugh. "Look, I'd chat more, but I need to get home to do chores. Same time tomorrow?"

Optimus recovered enough to nod. "Until tomorrow Jezebel." he said as she rose.

She returned the nod. "Until tomorrow Optimus."

He watched her walk away, wondering what exactly to make of her.

* * *

Blackarachnia watched Prime walk away, sneering at the mech who had left her behind. His sob stories were doozies, she'd give him that, but he was still a prick who deserved to be beaten. "What's wrong Blackarachnia?"

She turned to her new lackey. Skywarp had stuck around after yesterday, and even though she thought at first that it would be a stroke of luck, she wasn't so sure anymore. Skywarp was cute in a puppy-ish sort of way, but Blackarachnia was so used to being all alone that she was still adjusting to his presence. "Optimus Prime and I go way back, and not in a good way."

Skywarp nodded, suddenly hopeful. "Would you like me to destroy him?"

Blackarachnia-Companion's eyebrow rocketed up. Where had he gotten the courage to suggest that? "No, I've got other plans for Prime."

Skywarp drooped a bit. "I was hoping to make you happy." he murmured.

She felt a twinge for him. "Look, I appreciate the company and the sentiments, but I'm used to being alone. You'll just have to get used to it." she said, in a disgustingly gentle tone. She couldn't let herself loose her resolve! Just because this one damn mech would look at her with his big eyes . . . "Skywarp, go home!"

He jumped at her cry. "But . . . I'd rather be here! You protect me!"

Blackarachnia felt like slapping her face. "Skywarp, I like to visit with you, but being around you for twenty-four hours straight has gotten on my last nerve. Go home! Starscream has to be looking for you!"

Skywarp realized that she was right, and when he did get back, Starscream would probably be furious. His Companion gulped audibly. "You're right. I need to get back."

Blackarachnia watched him leap into the air and transform, his Companion deftly flipping around into the open cockpit. She felt bad for him again, but she would feel bad for anyone who had to deal with Starscream on a regular basis.

She turned back to watching the park path in front of her. Memories of the conversation between Prime and Jezebel whirled in her head. How could she use this to her further advantage?

* * *

Grimlock observed the one called Ratchet with an air of curiosity. The old medic moved slowly around the lab while gathering the tools he would need to complete his repairs on Grimlock-Handler. "You Ratchet need help?"

"No, you stay there on the table. I need to do one last thing to your Handler and you'll be done." Ratchet replied.

Grimlock nodded, his eyes and optics going to the scar over Ratchet-Companion's eye, and the broken chevron on Ratchet-Handler's forehead. "What happened to you Ratchet's eye?"

Ratchet unconsciously reached up to touch his scarred eye and chevron. "It happened during the war." he answered gruffly. "And that's all I'll say about it!"

Grimlock cocked his head and then looked down at his Companion's shirtless body. His Companion touched the punctures that peppered his torso. "Me Grimlock remember these."

Ratchet froze. "You do?" "Yes. Me Grimlock was . . . Not me Grimlock. Me Grimlock is confused." he said, grabbing his head. "So confused! Me Grimlock remember, but the memories not be mine. I do not know this sister . . . This mother . . . This father . . . This mate. Me Grimlock is alone. Me Grimlock have no family. Me Grimlock is a freak!"

Ratchet was silent for a moment. He sighed heavily, realizing that he was about to be emotionally attached against his will, again. Deep inside the grouch beat the heart of a true softie, and Ratchet could not help what he decided to do. "You're not alone Grimlock. You may not have the family that you're body remembers, but you have me."

Grimlock looked up, utterly shocked. He'd only been around Ratchet a few days, but a few days were more than enough to know that Ratchet did not get touchy-feely _ever_. "You Ratchet mean it?" "When I was younger I always imagined settling down and raising sparklings. Can't tolerate em though. At least you're an adult when I got cha." Ratchet said with a sly wink.

Grimlock-Companion smiled. "Does you Ratchet have mate?"

Ratchet's eyes and optics grew distant. "No, there's no one waiting for me at home Grimlock. Never has been."

Grimlock nodded. "That's sad. Everyone should have someone."

Ratchet snorted and shot exhaust. "Well, for now, you and I have each other."

Grimlock waiting until the medic had gotten close. Before Ratchet could do anything, Grimlock swept him into a tight hug. "Thank you Papa Ratchet."

Ratchet-Companion blushed. "No problem Grimlock. Now, put me down!"

* * *

Starscream stared down at Skywarp with a mixture of anger and curiosity. "Where have you been?" Skywarp looked up with an expression of fear. "I was patrolling like you wanted me to."

Starscream wasn't buying it. "Don't give me that claptrap! Where were you Skywarp?! I had Thundercracker and Ramjet searching the entire city for you!" Skywarp shook his head. "I was patrolling outside the city, I swear it!"

"I don't believe you!" Starscream screeched. "Where were you?!"

Skywarp, for once in his existence, gathered up all of his courage. "I'm not going to tell you!"

The bridge of the _Nemesis_ grew incredibly quiet. All of the clones of Starscream - not to mention the original - were utterly speechless in the face of Skywarp's courage. Slipstream was the first to recover, but she said nothing. Instead she savored the knowledge that soon Starscream's reign would end without her interference. If Skywarp was going to begin showing open defiance of his role - of his piece of Starscream's soul - then soon anarchy would rule.

Starscream was next to recover and his anger raged even higher. "What do you mean you won't tell me?! You will speak or else I will make your life a living hell!"

Skywarp shook his head. Starscream's punch was lightening fast, but Skywarp dodged nimbly. He slid underneath his opponent, but did not counterattack. If he was lucky, Starscream would throw him in the brig for a long time, but eventually let him out. If he returned fire, Starscream would kill him, and have no mercy in doing so.

Starscream swung around and leveled his null rays on Skywarp. "You will cease this mutiny and tell me!"

"_No_!" Skywarp screamed.

Starscream fired, catching Skywarp in the chest. The purple Seeker fell heavily to the floor, his chest armor smoking. His Companion's body was boneless, and for a moment Thundercracker, Ramjet, Slipstream, and Sunstorm thought that their comrade was dead. "Take him down to Earth and throw him on the side of a road somewhere." Starscream commanded.

"What oh great leader?" Sunstorm asked, his sycophantic comment delivered in a surprised tone.

"I said, take him down to Earth and dump him! If he won't follow my orders he is not welcome here!" Starscream screeched.

"Of course not Lord Starscream!" Ramjet said.

Slipstream strode over and hauled up her fellow clone. "I'll take care of it."

Starscream walked over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "That's my girl."

Slipstream sashayed out, secretly pleased with Skywarp. She patted his head as she made her way to the air lock. "Good job. Now all I've got to do is turn Thundercracker and Ramjet against Sunstorm, and my plans can come to fruition so much sooner than expected!"


End file.
